I think you all know that we like challenges and this project has been a real one.This “adventure” started a few months ago. It became a “tangible” piece not long ago and it is now in the market.

Nothing can be compared to the excitement when we saw our customer’s face once the production sample was finished. It was an incredible feeling to see that we managed to make what they had in their minds. As they said… “A dream come true”…

The making of this stunning design was beautifully filmed at our leather goods sampling studio in Ubrique (Spain). We really enjoyed the experience not only for the fun but also for the fact that our customer was able to see and appreciate the passion our team put on every step of the making process of their leather bag.

Thanks to the owners of the design and brand (The SLCTD) , it is a pleasure to be able to share the video below with our followers. Hope you like it. We look forward to your comments….

The answer to the first question is Yes, there are bad leather goods manufacturers… in Spain and in other countries, of course. The answer to the second question is No, quality is only one of the aspects in order to claim whether a leather good manufacturer is good or not.

After much seeing, making, trying and especially as a first person witness, I have found that many Spanish Leather Goods manufacturers have the skills to make good quality leather goods but many others lack other important features that a modern supplier should have.

21st Century citizens demand 21st Century services and the Fashion Industry is not an exception. 21st Century designers and fashion houses look for 21st Century leather goods makers and suppliers. This has to do with being updated about the trends and what the leaders of the market are currently doing. It also has to do with transparency in the relationship with customers and openness to new ideas. Empathy, enthusiasm and willingness are critical features too.

This new video shows the hand sewing of the front pocket of the bag and the strap holders on the sides. Fort he front pocket we have used a natural veg tanned leather as thread, while the strap holders on the sides have been hand sewn using a waxed thread. To be continued…

Lately, our Leather Goods Studio has been making a few leather goods without using any tool or machine that needs electricity to function. We are very happy with the result and so our customers are. The video below shows the initial processes of the making of a veg tanned leather flap bag. We will be posting the other steps in the following weeks.

A couple of years ago, a very good friend and leather goods manufacturer, introduced us to the managing director of a prestigious 3D lab located very near where our office is based. Right after this visit, quite a few ideas of how 3D Printing Technology could be applied to the leather goods manufacturing industry came to our mind.

These applications may be:

– Rapid hardware design where designs can be proved and perfected.

– Advanced prototyping of cases for electronic devices

– Development of new and innovative reinforcements, especially where the final shape is hard to get with the traditional materials used as reinforcements.

This technology (3D design – render) is also used in order to see the actual shape, measurements and overall look of a particular piece before moving to the physical making of the prototype.

Not long ago, we started a collaboration with local supplier Pileus. Two young entrepeneurs, Alberto Moreno and Juan Manuel Rodríguez, who especialise in printing on almost all surfaces and, of course, on leather too. Printing on leather can be one of the easiest ways of customising and differentiating your collection from the rest. If you do not believe it, please see the photos below. We recently interviewed them for our blog.

Betangible: Why did you decide to start a business like this?

Pileus: We both have experience in visual communication and decided to put our experience in our own business. We wanted to offer the leather goods industry in Spain something new. We really like the idea of mixing tradition and the latest technology and we think that we are providing Spanish Leather Goods Manufacturers with a touch of 21st Century technology.

Betangible: Are you also offering this service internationally?

Pileus: Yes. Several international brands that are producing in this area are hiring our services. We are supplying the printed leather to the local leather goods manufacturers.

But it is not only leather, we are also printing on wood, canvas and other fabrics, raffia, PU materials, and many other surfaces…

Betangible: What types of prints and finish can we get on leather?

Pileus: Well, the choice isl amost infinite, it all has to do with creativity, but we can differenciate between three finish , regular print (natt or shine), a sort of colourless (transparent) varnish and high relief (3D) print.

The thechnology that we use does not apply an extra layer that makes the leather lose its natural characteristics. It is real print, just like if it were a print on a piece of paper. It is a high performance print.

In a previous post, we wrote and showed a short video about the process of cutting the leather using different techniques. This time we would like to tell you about the two main types of cutting dies that Spanish Leather Goods Manufacturers use in their Leather Workshops.

Regular Cutting Dies are intended for bulk production since they simplify the leather cutting process. It is recommended when there will be a consistent repetition of a product or a particular detail that will be present throughout the whole collection. The cost of regular cutting dies is not high, however getting the desired shapes and curves aer not always possible due to the semi-manual making process of these cutting dies.

Precision Cutting Dies are made by using CAD/CAM technology (the same technology used for making embossing stamps) It’s a 100% automatic and precise process. These cutting dies are more costly but it is the best option when the key word is “Precision”. By using these cutting dies you can get the exactly the desired diameter in a corner of a leather wallet or card holder, for example. Another very good feature of these cutting dies is that you can do several processes at the same time, such as cutting the leather and doing the creasing line on the credit cards compartments of a wallet, for example.

In one of our first posts we featured images of some pieces made using the “leather carving” technique. This technique has been studied, used and improved by a very well known craftsman and artist from Ubrique called Luis Domínguez Rojas.

Rojas (this is how he signs his pieces) has been making leather carved pieces for more than 60 years. We recently interviewed him at his small workshop and museum and he captivated us when he stated, “I am still learning about this technique”.

He is currently collaborating with a local leather supplier Curtidos Cabezas trying to transmit his know-how to local leather workers through training courses. He aims at transmitting his passion for this art to the next generation of leather artisans. Below you can find a short video filmed during our interview. Hope you enjoy it.

We just started the manufacturing process of a collection of very exclusive leather goods. We are using vegetable tanned leather that we are dying ourselves at the workshop. We are using three different colours, green, navy and hazelnut brown… You can see the Hand dying process on the video below. We hope you enjoy it.

Regardless of the religious side of this Week, one may say that Spanish streets in general and Andalusian streets in particular become outdoor museums that show unique pieces of artwork made by Spanish artisans. Carpenters, Jewellers, Leather Workers, Embroiderers, Goldsmiths and quite a lot of other Guilds work together in order to create items of priceless artistic value.